Live another day
by Willofhounds
Summary: Most of the world believes there are only one kind of hero and villain and that the lines dont cross. The underground heroes know that this isnt true. That there are those with unique capabilities beyond quirks. And an evil that supercedes the villains. Circus and Heroes must work together or the world will fall to ruin. M/M and soulmate AU
1. Chapter 1

A/N if it was supposed to be a joke. Now it's real. Oh well.

Aizawa's POV

Shouta Aizawa was on his way to the store for supplies when there's a scream above him. He looked up only to see what can only be described as a broccoli falling towards him. Crashing them both into the ground.

A black-haired man said as he lands smoothly beside them, "Kid you landed on someone."

Shouta looked up to see a man wearing a nice suit and a black tie. On his head was a black top hat. In a way, he looked like an old magician that he had seen in pictures. With what he had seen there was only one group he belongs to. They had abilities similar to quirks. This man could only belong to Circus.

Shouta who laid on the ground with a child on top of him wondered how he got to this point. It was supposed to be his day off.

Why was he having to deal with Circus on his day off?

As an underground hero, he dealt with them on a weekly basis. Varugas were becoming more of a common sight. Heroes didnt have the ability to combat them. Quirks did not work on Varugas. Even if they were injured they would not die.

Circus was created by men who feared that they would become a threat when they first appeared. Only the quirkless had the gene within their body to activate the id bracelets. A power was similar to that of a quirk that was activated by words.

These powers did work against the Varuga. So Circus and Heroes were forced to work together but only in the shadows.

The boy blushed as he cried, "Aaaaaa I'm so sorry," he tries to help Aizawa up, "Sensei why did you catch me? You always caught Yogi."

Shouta looked the boy up and down. The boy had black hair with green tips his eyes were like emeralds. He was wearing a green hoodie with a black number two on its right side.

The boy was built lightly in muscle. He didnt seem to be malnourished in any way. Or unhappy even if he was pouting at the man. The man returned the pout with a fond exasperated look.

Oh great not only was this a Circus member but the kid was a Child of the Airship. That meant the boy was training to be a special operative.

Shouta frowned at the sight of the boy with that thought. The boy couldn't be older than fifteen.

Circus took in children of all ages but it was rare for under the age of 16 to start their training. Controlling the energy meant that he was out of the school that all the operatives went to.

From what Shouta understood the school was five years of classes without break. That meant this boy must have begun around the age of 10. He must have quite a bit of power and a strong will to have started it at such a young age.

The man responded with a faint look of amusement in his blue eyes, "Only way you will learn to keep the energy flowing at all times is trial and error. Next time don't land on a civilian. As for catching Yogi if I didn't, he has the tendency to land on his head. We don't need him any crazier than he already is."

Shouta grumbled agitated, "Its the middle of the day. Doesn't Circus usually do its practices indoors?"

The boy blinked in surprise. Shota knew that he just revealed he wasnt a civilian as the man assumed. There wasnt a point in hiding it. Circus didn't usually perform ability tests out in the open for a reason. Their abilities were supposed to be secret.

The man said a faint smile twitching at his lips, "Well then you must be a hero we work with. I am Captain Hirato of Airship 2. This is one of my wards he is currently learning how to use a training id bracelet. Next year he hopes to go to Yuuei and become the first hero and Circus special operative."

The boy seemed to stand a little taller with pride. Hirato was someone he had heard of. If a Varuga killed a civilian parent Hirato would take in the orphaned child if there no one else willingly. Whether they had a quirk or not made no difference.

Shouta gave the boy another glance as he found himself under the child's scrutiny. The boy hadn't given his name. Given the circumstances that could only mean he was close to becoming a full-fledged operative.

When that happened they dropped their true names and took up new ones. Hirato wasnt the Captain's real name. It was just the name he chose in order to protect his family.

This child knew the risks of what he was getting into. Since he didnt know Shota he wasn't going to risk his life or that of his family. If there were any left.

The boy questioned suddenly, "What's your name?"

Shouta thought for a moment then replied, "When you can tell me your name I'll tell you, mine kid."

There was a brief pouting look on the boy's face. Shouta briefly thought it was an adorable look before he pushed away such thoughts. His life was complicated enough without adding a Circus brat into the mix.

A white-gloved hand landed on the boy's shoulder. The kid glanced up at his Captain before sighing, "See you around then."

Briefly, Shouta caught sight of a bracelet with four gems on it. One large red gem and three smaller grey ones. It was the Circus id bracelet that all operatives wore. It was a little different from how he remembered. He had seen one once before that was thinner and had three jewels. One thin red and two smaller blue ones.

Was this boy wearing a training bracelet? Or was it just a different model? Either way, he didnt get the chance to ask.

Then they were gone taking flight likely back to their airship. Even at a distance, he could see how unsteady the younger was in the air.

As Shouta walked away he felt a tingling in the back of his mind. Faint emotions that he couldn't identify. For the moment he ignored them and continued on to get the things he needed for his cats.

Izuku's POV

It took three free falls and four false starts for him to make it back onto the airship. The amusement rolled off Hirato every time. By the time he has reached the ship, his energy levels were depleted.

As soon as they landed in the entrance room. The sheep robots that patrolled the ship greeter them happily, "Baa... welcome back... baa."

They intoned together, "We are back."

With that, the sheep stepped to the side allowing them to pass. The sheep obeyed Hirato and the full-fledged members.

Currently, Izuku was an in-training operative. He was taken in by Circus when he was only six. His mother was killed by a Varuga when an operative stepped in. Hirato was only 16 at the time and already a Lieutenant of the Second Airship. He was on the fast track to being a captain.

That night he became a Child of Airship 2. They couldn't get in contact with his father. Even at the age of six, he had known they wouldn't. Hisashi Midoriya was overseas on a special project.

Six months after joining the airship his soulmate mark had appeared. As much as he wanted it to match his savior's mark it didnt. Instead, it was a black cat with white bandages and red eyes curled around a green fox with green eyes. It was how he earned his nickname Kit with Hirato and Yogi.

Yogi was another Child of the Airship that was six years older than Izuku. He had been with Circus since he was four. Circus had found him when he was being experimented on by members of Kafka.

Kafka were people who wanted to kick start the next stage of evolution. The creatures were known as Varugas. Their bodies healed faster and distorted in a bloodlust. To keep their abilities and sanity they had to eat complex creatures like people. It was an operative's duty to stop the Varugas.

When Izuku was ten Hirato gave him the option of joining the operative school. Normally a Child of the Airship would not be considered for a place until they at least 16 or older. Then it would be another five years before they graduated. Those who wanted to be heroes were unable to because they were too old for the schools.

That was what Circus allowed the world to see at least. The process for choosing its special operative and Table of Z was a lot more intercut.

Until recently Circus special operatives were chosen from a registar. Children tested at birth that had a gene that would allow them to use the id bracelets. Hirato was one such child. It was how he had risen through the ranks as quickly as he did.

Then there were the Children of the Airship. Those who were taken from abusive families or those who had died in a Varuga attack. They could choose to live normal lives or they could go to the Academy. The Academy were the ones who trained those off the registar. It was the only way for someone like Izuku to become a special operative.

Most civilians were unable to tell the difference between a regular and a special operative.

If one looked closely they would be able to see the differences. Special operatives were younger and had colder eyes. The Lieutenants and Captains were chosen from the special operatives never the regular.

Their uniforms were sorted by trim colors. Gold for a captain, Green for the lieutenants, red for the special operatives, and grey for the regular.

Starting at the age of ten meant he would finish in time to become a hero. Being a hero was something he always wanted. He would be the first to link the two groups together. Rather than just being a comrades in battle.

Due to his age was shielded from some of the darker aspects of being an operative. He had fought and brought down Possessor's first level Varugas. Unlike the other students, he still had not seen or even knew what as Burial was.

It frustrated him beyond belief that he still couldn't help his friends. Or help Hirato who gave him a life. As the youngest Captain of an Airship Hirato had a lot to live up to and sway. It was how Izuku was even accepted into the academy at all.

Now he was fifteen and going to middle school for the second semester. It would be the first time he was with children his own age since he joined Circus. No doubt the classes would bore him to death. The Academy's classes were far above average and Hirato didnt let him slack off either. All his spare time would be to learning how to use this damn training bracelet.

As an in training operative, he could not have a true id bracelet. Not until they were sure that he could control the power.

Most in training members had trouble drawing out their power. That was not the problem he was having though. Despite what Hirato might think he could draw upon the power just fine.

Controlling the power was another story. No matter what he seemed to do the power overrode his training bracelet. It was why he kept falling out of the sky.

Hirato said drawing Izuku's attention, "Izuku, you have the rest of the day off. Tomorrow you have your first day at the middle school. It might just be a formality so you can join a hero course but don't slack off. Put everything you have into your classes."

Izuku snapped to attention as he replied, "Yes sir!"

Briefly, a soft light entered his mentor's eyes. Then it was gone as he turned towards his office. Izuku turned towards his own rooms.

It only took him a few moments to reach his room. The walls were bare of any posters. A bed was in the back corner and there were two large bookshelves. There was another door leading to his in-suite bathroom.

On the shelves were notebooks. They held his notes on heroes and the Varugas he had studied. In his younger days, he studied almost solely heroes.

Until one day they were forced to make an emergency landing. Later Izuku would learn that Thomas the previous Second Airship Captain had been ambushed. That night Hirato pulled everyone into the meeting all.

It was one of the few times Izuku had ever seen his mentor looking murderous. Normally Hirato was sarcastic and playful towards everyone. That night his blue eyes had turned a hard grey. It was the first time Izuku feared for his life since joining.

Hirato told them about the attack and that it was from a Varuga. Thomas had given just as good as he got. The damage that had been done was extensive.

What hit them however was that Thomas was not expected to make it through the night. It was the first time he had seen death since his mother's. The first time he actually was able to understand death. It was right before Izuku went off to Academy.

Hirato got forcefully promoted to the rank of Captain. Then he used his rank to get Izuku into the Academy. That was when Izuku got all the information Circus would allow him on Varugas. Which wasnt much even at the Academy.

Laying on his bed Izuku raised his right arm so that the sleeve of his shirt dropped. This revealed his Circus id bracelet. It was scuffed from the amount of use it had seen. Only the full operatives bracelets were new and unused. Those bracelets were linked only to their user. It would never work for anyone else.

In the back of his mind, he got the vaguest sense of feelings. He couldn't exactly read them but they weren't his own. For the time being, he pushed the feelings to the side. He had enough problems without them adding to the list.

That night he was unable to sleep his mind was focused on his power. When morning finally came he looked like the living dead.

Hirato noticed at breakfast but didn't comment. Instead, he simply raised an eyebrow at the younger. A black backpack lay on the floor by the door. It was his school bag from his time in the Academy. It was filled with the books he needs for today.

Yogi exclaimed as he kicked the door open, "Kit! Are you ready to go to school?!"

The older boy laid his arms around Izuku's shoulders. Normally he would have told the other but his heart wasn't in it. Not this morning.

Izuku was reluctant to return to the civilian lifestyle. Most of his life was spent in Circus but his civilian life left more than it's fair share of scars. He didnt know that it was wrong to do so then but he had been bullied as a young child.

Katsuki Bakugo once a childhood friend realized he didnt have a quirk. As such he abandoned Izuku and used him as a punching bag. Used his quirk to keep control over the smaller boy.

Burn scars littered Izuku's body from the two years before Circus took him in. New scars had been added to his body from training at the Academy. They didn't have the lasting vo impact that Bakugo's did.

Hirato already told him that he had permission to use his training to protect himself. Since he was without a quirk and an in-training operative no one could stop him. All the proof anyone would need was on his wrist.

Breakfast passed in near silence when they were done they went to the exit room. Tsukumo and Yogi wished him luck. Tsukumo was attending a regular high school since she arrived too late to go into a hero course. Yogi had long since graduated.

Hirato would escort him to the school grounds and fill out the paperwork but the rest was on him. He would either prove himself to those around him or he would fail.


	2. Middle school part 1

Izuku's POV

The coast he was led to was on the open side of the school. There were large windows that allowed them to see outside.

The principal that escorted him knocked on the door. A high pitched male voice ordered, "Enter."

Izuku followed the principal inside found a packed classroom. His teacher wore a black suit with a grey tie.

The principal said nodding to the teacher, "Mr. Kai this is your new transfer student. Try to make him feel welcome."

Mr. Kai sighed, "Alright then. Introduce yourself then."

Looking over the students of the class he recognized a few of them. In the back closest to the window was Bakugo Katsuki. By the pissed off look, he recognized Izuku as well.

Across from his was the winged boy. Like Bakugo the kid with the wings had been a bully. There wasnt the same hateful glare in his eyes. Just a vague look of boredom.

The rest of the class were all new to him. He didnt know any of them from primary school. That would mean they didnt know him either. There was a chance he could make friends outside of Circus.

Izuku said, "I am Izuku Midoriya, in training operative from Circus. With the approval of my captain, I will be bridging the gap between Circus and Heroes. It's nice to meet you all."

Katsuki snarled, "Are you fucking joking, Deku?! How could a quirkless loser like you bridge the gap between anything?"

The teacher gave him an appraising look. Quirkless were still looked down upon in their world. Not having a power of their own made life difficult.

Being apart of Circus meant one had a different kind of power. A gene that lay deep within their DNA was called incuna. Incuna was the gene that separated Circus from Heroes.

If anyone student or adult though he would take any kind of abuse they had lost their minds. In training or not he still held the power of incuna in his veins.

Mr. Kai ordered waiving towards the middle of the room, "Take the empty desk and we will get started."

The class itself was boring and it took all Izuku had not to sleep in class. His lack of sleep the night before wasn't helping matters. The fact he learned this material in his second year in the academy made it worse.

Instead of taking notes, he tried to focus the power within his body. Not enough to have him float. Just enough so that he could feel it.

Everything about the school was exactly how he thought it would be. Boring as all hell. The worst part was he couldn't have any practice with his id bracelet. All he could do was focus the energy through his body but not enough to activate any abilities.

As an in training special operative he had to follow many of the same rules as civilians. He was not allowed to use his abilities beyond flight without a captain or lieutenant present. Until he mastered his abilities he could not be declared a full-fledged special operative.

He deliberately left out that he was in training to be a special operative. Everyone knew that Circus had different classifications for their operatives. If he did tell the class it would bring up too many questions.

When class finally ended he was on his in a second. Only to come face to face with Bakugo. The red eyes held a murderous quality in them. No doubt he still hated Izuku for being a quirkless brat. Things were different now and he could and would fight back.

A popping sounds drew the boy's attention to Bakugo's hands. Sure enough, there were tiny explosions happening between his fingers. Intimidation via powerful quirk would work on most people including teachers. It would not work on a member of Circus.

Izuku snapped with bared teeth, "Move out of my way Bakugo. I have nothing to say to you or anyone else."

A hand reached to grab him the explosions still going off as Bakugo growled, "You think you can just come back Deku? Who do you think you are?!"

Izuku turned the side bumping into the desk to avoid the hand. Mr. Kai barely glanced up at them before leaving the classroom. Just like before everyone ignored him for Bakugo. No more. He was not the useless Deku he was when his mother was killed.

With his rising anger came the power that lay just beneath the surface. It didnt struggle against him as it had done before. Instead, it accepted his call and came to his aid.

Something warm covered his right hand. His feet came off the ground slightly. It was just enough to be noticeable to even Bakugo.

"What the hell?"

Izuku growled, "This is why you don't mess with a member of Circus. In training or full-fledged member, we carry our abilities with us everywhere. If you attack me I guarantee my Captain will take my side. It will not be pretty for you. Do not test me, Bakugo."

For a long moment, they stared each other down. Both testing the other to see how far they would go. Izuku would do what was necessary to protect himself. In turn, protecting the name of Circus.

Then Bakugo tsked angrily and took a step back. Izuku took a breath and dissipated the energy. His feet hit the ground lightly.

Then he pushed past the other and headed for the door. He doubted this would be the last time he and Bakugo would argue. When he looked down at his hands he found they were normal. The warmth that he felt was gone. What was that?

Izuku returned to the Second Airship where the robot sheep informed him, "Baaaa... welcome back Izuku. Baaa... Captain Hirato requests you in his study baaaa..."

Well, there went his easily evening. Hirato rarely requested his presence in the study. When he did the request usually sent to his phone.

Going through the hallways he made his way to the office. As he walked he loosened the uncomfortable school tie. There were only a handful of times that he wore a suit and tie.

A full Circus uniform was a colored suit depending on rank and a tie. Full-fledged members had their Circus ids on as well. At the moment he could only wear identifier clothing like hoodies and shirts with the airship number. With that, he wore his training id bracelet.

As such wearing ties for school was uncomfortable. The academy didn't make them wear ties. So why was it required for a middle school?

When he reached Hirato's office he knocked lightly on the door. A voice called out, "Enter."

Hirato was unsurprisingly on his couch with a folder in his hands. He was wearing a button-down shirt and pants. Izuku spied the man's jacket and tie over the back of his chair. Either the man was irritated at something or the air conditioning was broken again.

He highly doubted it was the second. Yogi was longer allowed to tinker with things after the last time. If he remembered correctly Hirato very nearly killed the blond for taking out the air conditioning.

Izuku inquired with a small smirk, "Who pissed you off this time Hirato?"

Hirato replied not looking up from his folder, "One of the Table of Z has decided to visit. They want to speak with us."

Oh, that couldn't be anything good. Table of Z commanded all of Circus no matter what airship one belonged to. In his entire time with Circus Izuku had only been called before them once. They wanted to see the child that broke the record for the youngest to enter the academy.

From what he knew of them the Table only came when someone was in trouble. The only thing he had done was almost get in a fight with a civilian. That wasnt enough for him to be reprimanded by the Table.

A knock came at the door and a man entered without waiting. He had brown hair and dark blue eyes. There was a kindness in the blue eyes that he was familiar with. His facial features strongly resembled those of Hirato.

This must be the infamous Tokitatsu, Hirato's older brother. From what Izuku knew of Hirato's past his brother was five years his senior. They both entered Circus at an early age. Unlike Hirato, Tokitatsu went into the technical division. Swiftly rising through the ranks until he became a member of the Table. Hirato respected his brother's position as he respected all of the Table. Which was very little and full of sarcastic comments.

As a brother however Hirato barely tolerated Tokitatsu. Yogi once said if they were left in a room together one would be dead by the time someone came back. Even with the elder having just entered the room Izuku could feel the tension.

Tokitatsu greeted walking straight up to where Izuku was standing his hand extended, "You must be Izuku Midoriya it's very nice to meet you. I am Tokitatsu from the Table of Z and Hirato's older brother."

Izuku took the hand and responded with a small smile, "Nice to meet you, sir. You can call me Izuku or Kit that's what everyone else calls me. May I ask what this is about?"

Hirato sighed drawing both of their attention, "Sit down, Izuku. We need to have this conversation as civilized as possible."

The last part was said with a glare sent to the eldest. Izuku felt as if he was intruding on these two. Even with being invited to be apart of this chat he didnt feel like he really belonged. Then again leaving them alone would end in murder.

Why couldn't Hirato have asked Yogi to be here? Izuku wasnt cut out for dealing with his mentor's family problems.

Still, he obeyed and moved to sit next to his captain. For his part, Tokitatsu sat across from them in an armchair. He sat with his hands folded in front of him considering both Izuku and Hirato.

Next to Izuku, Hirato was practically radiating unease. It was making Izuku uneasy and wary of the man in front of them. His captain was usually the sense of calm within the airship. For him to be uneasy would put everyone on edge.

The entire crew trusted Hirato over any member of the Table of Z. It was a loyalty born of friendship. Hirato never lorded over his crew. They were treated as equals and family. More often than not it was the only family any of them had ever known.

The Table could not see how treating members fairly brought loyalty. If they had their way every one of rank would lord over those below them. All that would do would be breeding dissent. Circus could not last in an environment such as that.

As much as he hated to admit it Hirato and Tsukitachi of the First Airship were the same in that. They never lorded over their people. Nor would they abandon a comrade for an order. They would rather break all the rules of Circus than to abandon one of their own. There was very little that the Table could do about it. As all operatives of the airships were loyal to the captains not to the Table.

After a long moment of silence, Tokitatsu began, "There is no easy way to say this so I'm just going to come out with it. Izuku it has come to the attention of the Table that you graduated from the Academy without performing a Burial."

Izuku tilted his head to the side as he responded, "I did countless Burials on Possessors. Why would you say I haven't performed a Burial?"

A dark look was shot towards Hirato who looked away guilt briefly flashing across his features. There was something he was missing here. That much was plainly obvious.

"Performing a burial on a Possessor is not a difficult feat," continued the man, "Most Year Two students could perform such a Burial. What I am talking about is a full Burial performed on a transformed Varuga. That is what you have yet to accomplish or even see."

Briefly, Izuku's mind turned to just before his final exams. How many of his fellow hopefuls suddenly dropped out of the combat course. They were taught that Varugas were once human.

According to their teachers once a Varuga has reached its final transformation there is no reasoning with them. They will kill and eat. In fact, once a regular person comes into contact with their blood they will eventually lose themselves to the madness.

Izuku never considered that one day he might have to kill someone. There was a chance that the person might even be someone he once knew. What was he supposed to do with this?

"The Table is giving you until the UA Sports Festival. You must see and perform a Burial before then," finished Tokitatsu.

The man stood as if he was getting ready to leave. Izuku questioned fear lacing his voice, "And if I don't?"

"Then you will no longer be considered an in training operative. You will return to being a regular Child of the Airship. When you are of age you will cut all ties to Circus completely and live out a normal life."


	3. Middle school part 2

Izuku's POV

Tokitatsu only stayed the night in the airship. His words had resonated with Izuku and Hirato. Both feared that the boy would be unable to handle a full burial.

Burials were something that wasn't talked about. Whenever one of the Children of the Airship first performed one they came back different. Their eyes had lost their innocence. Izuku hated seeing the looks in their eyes when they returned.

Yogi had been the worst so far. The blonde completely withdrew into himself. There wasnt happy bubbly laughter that rang through the ship. It was like the childish life within him had died. Hirato finally had to step in two weeks later. Whatever he had said to Yogi slowly brought him back to his old self.

There was a difference between him and those who had performed Burials. They had full combat Circus id bracelets. He was still on the training bracelet.

That night Hirato had dismissed him immediately after the meeting. The man looked pensive and had gone to the library if the sheep were to be believed. It seemed as if he was going in search of answers.

The next morning just after Tokitatsu left Hirato called him down to the main meeting room. Meeting rooms were rarely used on the airships. The only they were used was swear ins and if a large scale operation was being performed. At the Captain's command, the bottom of the floor could be opened allowing for a large number of members to leave. During his time as a Child of the Airship, he had only seen this done once.

One of the Table had been kidnapped and Airship 1 and 2 were called in. Over 300 operatives of all classifications went into battle. They practically destroyed the building that was holding the Table member. It was both a show of power to the heroes and a reminder for the Table. The Table might think they were in control but either one of the airships could turn deserter and decide to follow their own path. If that happened there was little they could do to stop them.

The meeting hall was a large room in the belly of the ship. There were two chairs at the far end of the room where the Captain and Lieutenant would sit. Scars lined the metal from where powers had rampaged out of control in this room. When a child became a full-fledged member their new bracelet would activate their main power and weapon. Most could control the power but there were a few that needed more time.

Izuku noted both Hirato and Yogi stood in front of their respective chairs. Both wore their dress uniforms instead of their normal clothes. By the walls, he could see the special operatives also in full dress.

Instinctively he knew what this was. It was an acceptance ceremony where a Child of the Airship and in training operative became a full member. Normally acceptance ceremonies were done in groups of four or five. It was rare that a full ceremony was called for a single operative. Then again nothing about his time in Circus had been normal.

Izuku moved so that he didnt block the door. Meeting Hirato's eyes he waited.

"Midoriya, welcome to your acceptance ceremony."

Those words solidified his thoughts into reality. As per tradition Izuku shed his identifying shirt until he was wearing his undershirt. Scars marred his skin from when he was still friends with Bakugo. They had faded with time but were still noticeable. He wasnt ashamed of the scars. They were proof that he had lived. As they would continue to be. He knew that more would be added with time within Circus and as a Hero. Being self-conscious about them helped no one.

Izuku moved with precise steps to the center of the room. Once there he bent down to a knee and crossed his right arm so that his right adorned with his training bracelet was over his heart. Then he bowed his head and waited.

Hirato's distinctive footsteps came towards him. It only took a few seconds for the boy to see his pant's leg. A warm hand clasped his right arm and brought it up. Since he was wearing a short-sleeved undershirt his id bracelet wasn't hidden.

Fingers undid the clasp and pulled the training bracelet off. It felt strange not having it on. Even in the Academy, they had their own form of id bracelets. Taking them could get you expelled. There was almost nothing one could do within Circus if that happened. At best one could work within the research tower as a medical assistant.

Another pair of footsteps echoed in the meeting hall. Only a few seconds later another pair of pants legs entered his vision. Yogi, there was no one else that it could be.

He heard Hirato pick something up from above him but did not move. His right arm was still limp in the man's grasp.

Hirato questioned his tone uncharacteristically serious, "Do you Izuku Midoriya swear your loyalty to Circus? To uphold our laws and conditions made by the Table of Z? To protect the innocents from the Varugas?"

"I do," swore Izuku.

"Will you surpass the trails put before you by the Table of Z? Then to forsake your past name for a new one upon finishing your hero training?"

"I will."

A new bracelet is slipped over his wrist. Hirato turned his hand over to tighten the straps before releasing his arm. Izuku brought his arm back towards him. It was very similar to the training bracelets. Except it had fewer and smaller crystals. They still formed the same pattern. It was supposed to help with power control. Though occasionally it wasnt enough to completely control the power within their bodies.

Case and point was Yogi. The blonde had two powers within his body. He had the swords and thorns that answered his call. Then there was Silver Yogi brought about by extreme emotions. Silver Yogi was the darkness to the blonde's light.

Izuku had only ever seen the aftermath of Silver Yogi coming out. Once the older boy broke four of Hirato's ribs and his left arm before the Captain was able to stop him. It took a while to heal from that and their Captain never told Yogi the truth. Yogi to this day never remembered anything that happened once Silver Yogi took control.

Hirato always claimed it was better that way. At least then he would not fight using the patches that kept his powers under control. There was still the issue of Yogi remembering to change them every day. Putting the fear of Doctor Akari into the blonde usually straightened that out, however.

A hand appeared in his field of vision and Izuku took it with his right hand.

He was swiftly hauled to his feet but this wasnt the end. There was still one more part. The activation of the bracelet.

Hirato nodded at his questioning look. There were no words to be said here. He had to focus his power and activate the bracelet. Everything else would fall into place from there.

Focusing he called the power from within circulating through his body and bracelet. A warmth encased his right hand, the same from the day before. He found fingerless black gloves on his hands. These were his weapons? That wasnt something he had ever seen before.

A soft yip caught his attention-drawing it away from his gloves. A fox with a black fox with green tips in its fur stood in front of him. It was the size of a medium dog. His spirit animal.

Every member of Circus had a spirit animal that guided them. Like Izuku, Hirato had a fox but his was completely black in color with blue eyes. Normally the spirit animal only manifested in times of need. Hirato was one of the rare exceptions that could call his out when needed.

Hirato smiled as he announced, "Izuku Midoriya is now officially one of us as an operative. His spirit animal is that of a fox. Congratulations Kit."

A smile broke across Izuku's face as the others left their positions. Yogi was the first to reach out and wrap him into a hug. The blonde ruffled his hair causing Izuku to try and get away from him. Congratulations were given all around.

Hirato reminded causing the green-haired boy to look back at him, "Until you perform your first Burial you are still in training. That means any missions I go on you will be by my side. I will be there for when you perform your Burial as well. It will be documented just as all our missions are. This is the path you've chosen. Hold your head high and be proud not just of who you are but of what you will become."

"Sir!"

Hirato's POV

Glaring at the screen in front of him Hirato contemplated what to do. The Table were interfering in his operations again. Normally this wouldn't be a problem they had worked through it before. It was different this time. They weren't just interfering in a mission. The interference was on the basis of their operatives.

Captains of the airships were supposed to have free reign in choosing operatives. It made for stronger teams and easier times on cooperative missions. What had them up in arms about Kit? From the moment Hirato brought him in they had issues. For the life of him, Hirato could not figure out why.

In front of Hirato were two reports. The first being the tests on the kid's training bracelet. Once issues the bracelets weren't removed until the acceptance ceremony or they were removed from Circus.

Whenever one was removed they sent it off for testing to be sure it was still in working order. Kit's bracelet tests revealed that it was not in working order. It had not been for some time.

According to the report even with the limiter on how much power Kit could draw he still overloaded the bracelet. To be able to still use flight capabilities even brokenly was a feat in itself. Being able to use his flight should boost Kit's confidence.

There was an issue with his weapon. No one in Circus chose the weapons they were given. It was part of the power given to them. Gloves were not much use against Varugas though. Unless there was a negation ability he would not be able to perform a Burial. There was still the hope he might have a barrier or elemental power. Those two would allow for Burials.

No matter how they looked at it, Kit performing a Burial would be tricky. No matter what it came down to they would make sure that Kit followed the path he chose. That's what they had always done for each other. It's what they would always do until they were no more.

The second report was more concerning. It was from their informant within Kafka. A new drug was being made that would make Varugas faster than the original. If it got out into the world Circus as it was would not be able to handle the influx. Its members would not be able to handle so many Burials.

The communication between him and their informant was strictly need to know. Only Hirato and Yogi knew that there was someone giving the information. Their mole was kidnapped by Kafka. It took almost two years of communication for the person to disclose who they were. Hisashi Midoriya, the missing parent of their Kit.

With how long it had been since Kit joined them there was a minuscule chance that he would ever gain custody of the kid. Not with Kit's goals to be the bridge between two worlds.

Yogi asked, "Are we going to tell him? Hirato this could change everything."

"We can't," answered Hirato, "Not yet at least. For now, we will wait until we have more information. Then we will tell him."

"As you wish, Captain."


	4. Burial part 1

Warnings: mentions of cannibalism. Varugas are considered to be human still.

Izuku's POV

It would take several months for there to a full burial need to be done by Hirato. In that time he focused all of his effort on mastering his weapons. Izuku had been surprised to learn that his gloves weren't his only means of fighting. He could summon a sword or a cane like Hirato's to him. Apparently, his closeness to Yogi and Hirato meant a connection to their weapons.

When tested they found that both he and Hirato could summon their canes. While they looked the same they weren't connected through the id bracelets. It just meant that he had extra training to master the two other weapons.

His gloves he found were good for hand to hand combat and grappling. If they needed someone alive for questioning or facing a regular person his gloves would be perfect. The only issue was they still had not figured out his ability.

With each weapon came at least one special ability. Hirato's was a putting pure energy into his cane and using it to strike. Depending on the energy it could slice through steel as if it was a knife on butter. The man called it Way of the Skyfish.

There was a lightning bind technique that all members learned how to use as well. Normally it took 2-4 members to perform. It depended greatly on the strength of the Varuga and the corresponding strength of the Circus members. Captains and Lieutenants usually could perform a bind alone on most Varugas.

Binds kept a target immobile for questioning. They also made performing Burials much easier. Unless it was a major attack Burials should only be performed with a bind. It would save energy and less chance of an escape happening.

With all of his training to be prepared for the UA entrance exams school was an escape. Most of the time other students would sneer at him from afar. They didn't want to get close to him as if quirklessness was contagious. Not that he cared. He didnt come to middle school to make friends. He knew his worth and that was all that mattered in this school.

It was only two weeks before the entrance exams when his phone went off in class. Everyone including their teacher froze. As a member of Circus, he was required to answer any calls he received in class or not. Given that he was in class he knew it had to be important. They wouldn't call otherwise.

Izuku pulled his phone from his bag and answered coldly aware of the eyes on him, "This is Kit."

"Kit we have an emergency situation in Baten," came Hirato's smooth voice, "Grab your stuff and be ready out on the lawn. We will fly over to get you."

"Yes sir."

Izuku slammed his books shut as he stuffed his phone into his jacket. It only took him a few seconds to stuff his stuff in his bag and head for the door.

The teacher snapped angrily, "Where do you think you are going, Midoriya?"

Izuku sighed in annoyance, "I have been called out to emergency in Baten. As a member of Circus, I am required to attend."

With that, he was gone from the room. A moment later he was out on the lawn looking up towards the sky. It only took a few moments for the airship to appear above him. Calling upon his power he steadily rose into the sky.

Those who had classes by the windows were watching him. They questioned whether or not Circus had any powers at all. Most believed Circus was a group of weaklings. That they were all useless. Discrimination was common and only the strong were able to survive it.

Izuku ignored them and went to the airship. He passed through the underbelly into the main portal of the ship.

Hirato's demonic sheep greetee him cheerfully, "Welcome back."

Izuku smiled at the sheep as he replied, "I'm back."

Then he moved away from the entrance. The sheep said falling into line after a moment, "Captain Hirato is waiting for you in the computer room. We will arrive in Baten in two hours."

Izuku thanked the sheep before starting in the direction of the computer room. Five minutes later he knocked on the door.

Hirato called out absentmindedly, "Enter."

Izuku said formerly as he entered the room, "Special Operative Kit reporting as ordered."

Hirato waved him in and said not looking up from the screen, "Come in, kid. Drop the formalities they arent needed right now. Come look at this file and tell me what you think."

Izuku did as he was bid. Immediately checking over the file that he was handed. Nine murders had happened around the Baten area in the last few weeks. It was more murders than the town had in over a decade.

All the murders had a few things in common. First that the only thing that was left untouched was the faces. Every person had blood-red eyes. The only other thing they had in common was that most of the bodies had bite wounds. As if someone was trying to eat the bodies. The pictures made him sick to his stomach. It was only by his iron will that he was sick right there.

The fact that something tried to eat them meant it was most likely a Varuga attack. Varugas had to eat complex organisms to survive. By the size of the wounds, it would have to be a human one.

Izuku took a deep breath before he started, "It appears to be a Varuga attack. From the size of the wounds, I would say a human-sized Varuga. As for its victims, the only thing they have in common is their red eyes. It does not appear that the Varuga is looking just for food either. Going after only red eyes means they are looking for someone."

Hirato gave him an appraising look. It made Izuku's heart flutter momentarily. Had he overstepped his bounds?

Then Hirato praised with a small smile of approval, "Well done. Those were my thoughts exactly. When we arrive we will be sending out our foxes to search for the killer. From there you will bind them and I will perform the Burial. Are you ready for this, Izuku? There's no going back to being the same person you were once you see a Burial."

Izuku nodded. This was his chance to finally learn what his Captain was protecting him from. To prove that he belonged with Circus. It was not something he was willing to let pass.

Yogi came soon after to bring him a change of clothes. A short-sleeved black t-shirt with a grey jacket over it was chosen. He kept his black jeans rather than picking different pants.

The rest of their trip was made in contemplative silence. Both Izuku and Hirato were examining the files trying to find anything they had missed. When it came to Varugas it was better safe than sorry. Many good operatives lost their lives by underestimating their opponent. He did not plan to become another one.

When they reached the city both Izuku and Hirato used their flight capabilities to go to the last crime scene. To their surprise, a hero was waiting for them. A particularly recognizable hero. Best Jeanist Number 4 in all of Japan. What was he doing in Baten of all places?

Best Jeanist greeted cordially, "Captain Hirato. Who is this? I don't recognize him as one of your usual operatives?"

Izuku gave a slight bow of his head as he answered, "I am Kit one of the newest operatives of Circus. I am here to gain valuable field experience."

Best Jeanist nodded accepting his answer then he went straight to business, "So far we have been unable to track the person that has done this. We contacted Circus about the possibility of a Varuga with the first body but nothing came of it. If this keeps going things will become strained between Circus and the Hero Commission."

Internally Izuku was already calling upon his spirit fox. A nod from Hirato and he sent it off to see if it could track down their Varuga. It had come as a surprise albeit not an unwelcome one that he could call his fox so easily.

Izuku then began to check over the crime scene carefully. He was looking for anything that could have been missed. Varuga abilities were similar in nature to Circus special operatives. The ability changed from person to person and no two people had the same ability.

There were holes in the wall that at first he had assumed were there from previous crimes. This was not a good neighborhood by the looks of it. It wouldn't be unreasonable that someone might have a strength quirk nearby. On closer examination, though he realized it was more than just a strength quirk. There was fairly fresh blood. Some might belong to the Varuga as well as the victim.

After searching his pockets he found his small flashlight. Carefully he searched for a blood trail. The two men stepped aside as he began to follow the blood trail. It was leading away from the crime scene. If he got into trouble all members of Circus had a homing Beacon sewn into their clothes.

It over an hour of tracking but he was led out into a field. From a distance, he could see a hulking brute of a man walking to the southwest and an insane pace. If he was to use his flight abilities he would keep up fairly easily. That would give away his position, however. His best bet would be to send his location to Hirato and try to keep up the best he could on foot. It would be suicide to try and take on a Varuga alone.

Hirato must have used his abilities for it only took him twenty minutes to locate Izuku. By that time the boy had to fall further back to stay out of sight. They had come out into a suburban area. Once again it seemed they were headed to a neglected part.

It took slightly longer for Best Jeanist to join them. He and Hirato were already planning an attack. It seemed that the Varuga was going to enter a warehouse. It could the base of operations for a Kafka cell.

Izuku knew that Hirato could take out a small cell alone. Given the area and the amount of prey in it he knew it would have to be a small cell of Varuga. Then again it could just be a single Varuga acting alone. This situation was hard to predict.

Best Jeanist asked, "What is your plan?"

Hirato gave Izuku a nod and the boy began, "The plan would be to hit him right as he enters the building. If we time it right I can use bind and the battle would be over before it really begins. Captain Hirato will then perform the Burial after questioning."

Best Jeanist replied, "Do you want my assistance in anything?"

"Not unless there are more of them in there."

The Varuga then began to slam its shoulder into the door of the warehouse. It was not entering a place known to it. Damn, there might be someone else in there.

A nod from Hirato had them rushing forward. Izuku was already calling forth the bind ability when he slammed his shoulder into the Varuga's back. Then promptly bounced off.

Shit! The ability given to the Varuga was strength. With how much he had eaten in the last few days it would be multiplied greatly. It turned faster than what should have been possible for a creature of its size. A fist was coming straight for him. All he could do was raise his hands to try and block.

Only for there to be a tug on his clothes that sent him tumbling back. Izuku stumbled slightly upon landing but found himself side by side with the hero. He gave a grateful nod to the older man.

Hirato however had already was calling up a bind as he slammed his cane into the small of it's back. He snarled, "Binden."

Electrical currents flashed over the Varuga. The currents connected to the ground pinning it.

Izuku moved with Best Jeanist close behind to Hirato's side. He apologized not meeting the other's eyes, "I'm sorry I couldn't bind him."

Hirato said coldly, "It's of no issue, Kit. I need you to check the inside to see if there is someone in there before returning for Burial."

"Yes sir!"

Izuku immediately went to the door where it was almost all the pushed in. It didn't take him long to get the gap large enough to fit himself through. What he found shocked him. A teenager with snow-white hair was leaning against the far wall. By the looks of the teenager, they were male. What really caught his attention was the piercing red eyes the were wet with tears.

Izuku questioned softly, "Hey there. What's your name?"

Watery red eyes met his kind green ones. For a moment it did not appear that the boy would answer him.

Then he replied his voice cracking slightly, "I'm Nai. Who... who are you?"

"I'm Kit from Circus," he answered with a smile, "Where're your parents? Why are you here by yourself?"

Nai was quiet for a moment before he said looking over Izuku's shoulder, "I don't know my parents. I've been with Karoku for as long as I can remember. But then he disappeared and I found this is a puddle of red water. So I went looking for him. Gareki saved me from a bad woman he went to get food."

The words rang true but there was something off about this. Nai spoke as if he was a small child. Karoku was likely some kind of caretaker who disappeared. Gareki was just someone who stepped in? He wasn't sure.

At least until Nai showed him his right arm with its sleeve pulled up. Oh shit. That was a Circus id bracelet. An older model but still one of their bracelets. What was he to do now?


	5. Burial part 2

Izuku's POV

It didnt take much convincing for Nai to follow him outside. Best Jeanist raised an eyebrow at him but didnt comment. Hirato for his part was completely focused on his captured Varuga. The Varuga however began to struggle at the sight of Nai. Izuku pushed the kid behind him and prepared for the chance that the man would break out of the bind.

Unsurprisingly the bind only tightened its hold on the man. The man screamed causing the boy to grab Izuku's jacket. Whether it was in fear or in sensitivity to sound he was unsure. Part of him wanted to take the boy away from the scene. To save his innocence from what was about to be performed. However, he could not in good conscience do so. There was a chance that there were more Varugas out there. Someone watching from the shadows. If Izuku left the kid alone he could be later used against them. So he would wait and see what Hirato wanted to do.

Hirato turned to him and said, "I've gotten everything I need out of him. Apparently, he was trying to find a young boy possibly a teenager with red eyes. I assume that it would be the child behind you."

Nai said frightened, "I'm Nai... I'm supposed to wait for Gareki here while he went to get food. He didnt want me to go with him in case I fell again. He's helping me look for Karoku."

Karoku? Who in the world was that? The name didnt sound familiar to him certainly not a member of Circus within the combat division.

Hirato ordered calmly, "Best Jeanist you take the boy away from the area. He doesn't need to see what is about to happen. As for this Karoku, we can get more information after the burial."

Nai looked at him and waited for Izuku to nod before following Best Jeanist. It seemed that without Gareki that Nai had attached himself to Izuku. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing but he was about the same age as Nai though. It would be better for him to be taken in by someone older. Or let him go back to this Gareki person. The only thing that ate at him was the old Circus id bracelet. There was no way Circus would allow someone to take an id bracelet with them. So how did Nai have one?

His thoughts were brought back to the outside world by a hand on his shoulder. Looking back he saw Hirato watching him. There was a question in his blue eyes. Was Izuku ready for his life to be changed? The honest answer absolutely not. Would he do it for the only life he's ever known? Yes. Slowly Izuku nodded. He followed Hirato to stand in front of the trapped Varuga.

Hirato called forth his weapon the cane came forth in a flash of blue light. It was the exact color of the man's eyes. Cold swept through him as he saw the look in his captain's eyes. That was not normal for the man. Ice cold blue eyes stared down at the Varuga without any compassion. This was not the same man who raised him.

Hirato called out as the cane became something of a blade, "Weg des Himmelsfisches."

Then he sliced it down through the Varuga. A blueish white light erupted and the man screamed a blood curling scream. The bind tightened to a dangerous level and the Varuga burst into white shining light.

The two members of Circus watched as the light faded away. They made absolutely sure there was nothing left of the creature that had destroyed a town. It was then for the first time that Izuku understood. Varugas were once regular people just like them. Some changed by their own decision to become monsters for power. Others it was forced upon them. Either way, it was the duty of a special operative to deal with them.

According to the Academy once a Varuga has reached its final transformation there is no reasoning with them. They will kill and eat complex organisms, namely humans. In fact, once a regular person comes into contact with their blood they will eventually lose themselves to the madness.

The Academy also states that Circus sets their souls free so that they might find happiness on the other side. But that's only to try and clear their own conscience knowing that they are killing people. Some of whom didnt choose to be what they had become. How could they do that and still smile during the party events?

A warm arm wrapped around his shoulders. He was pulled so that he faced Hirato's white dress shirt. A hand carded through his hair in a soothing manner. It didnt do anything to ease his shaking.

Hirato sighed and ordered gently, "Focus on me, Kit. Its okay just focus on me."

He nodded against the man's chest but he couldn't form words. He led them away from the building towards where Best Jeanist and Nai had gone. His shaking only got worse as they moved away instead of better. The full weight of what he would have to do later was hitting him. He would have to kill another person for Circus. That thought was absolutely terrifying.

Knowing that he couldn't show weakness in front of the hero he pulled away. He stood directly to Hirato's right keeping within arm's distance of the man.

Best Jeanist questioned in a concerned tone, "Is Kit going to be okay, Captain Hirato?"

Hirato replied firmly in a tone that booked no argument, "He will be. Today was the first time he has seen a burial. It's something every member of Circus goes through at one point or another."

Before anything else could be said however a voice cried out, "Nai!"

They all turned to face where the voice had come from. A boy three or four years older than Izuku was walking through the grass. He scruffy hair as black as night and piercing blue eyes. All around his appearance was that of a scruffy technician or more likely a cat burglar. A blue jacket hugged his frame and despite being bulky it didnt appear very warm. On the top of his head was a pair of goggles used for those who drove motorcycles.

Nai for his part pulled away from Best Jeanist and ran to the scruffy teen's side. He cried happily, "Gareki! This is Circus they saved me from a bad man. He felt like the lady you saved me from."

Felt? Wait could this boy be an empath? Natural empaths were rare in this day and age. Even as a quirk it only showed up once or twice a generation. Many times it would skip a generation. When Izuku glanced up at Hirato he could see an understanding look. He was thinking the same as Izuku.

Hirato began drawing the two boy's attention, "You must be Gareki. I am Captain Hirato of the Second Airship from Circus. Nai told my subordinate that he was waiting for you. Might we return to my airship so we can ask some questions?"

Gareki immediately pulled Nai protectively behind him. His blue eyes hardened as he snapped, "Like hell! How do we know you are truly part of Circus? There are creeps chasing after Nai and they will do anything to get ahold of him."

"Like the Varuga we just dispatched moments ago?" Came Hirato's frosty question, "Surely you have heard of Circus's abilities? The blue light in the sky earlier was us taking care of another searcher. One who was about to enter the building with Nai in it."

Gareki looked back at Nai who gave a shaky nod. The boy seemed to consider Hirato's words for a long moment. Izuku understood him a lot better than Hirato did. The boy wasnt just protecting himself but someone younger than him. As an empath, it would be difficult for Nai to get through the emotions around him. It would make him next to useless in battle until he could control the ability. That meant only Gareki could protect them both.

Gareki demanded finally, "If you are Circus then show me your id bracelets. Summon your weapons as proof they are in fact yours and you didnt steal them."

Smart it was common knowledge that id bracelets were keyed to their user. If one wanted to be sure that a person claiming to be a member of Circus was telling the truth. Unperturbed by the demand both Izuku and Hirato pushed up the sleeve of their jackets to reveal their ids. Then they called forth their weapons. Izuku's gloves formed over his hands and Hirato's cane appeared.

Though the older boy was still suspicious of them he relaxed minutely. They had passed his test and proven that they were members of Circus.

Gareki questioned, "What now? Nai is looking for someone named Karoku. That bracelet he is wearing was Karoku's but I can't find out anything else about him."

Hirato sighed tiredly, "With Kafka after Nai I would suggest you both come with me to the airship. They would not hesitate to you against Nai to make him cooperate. Will you come with us?"

Gareki nodded after a moment. Izuku and Hirato began their final reports to Best Jeanist. No doubt the hero would give the shortened version in his report to the hero commission. Then the two members of Circus and their new charges made the trackback to where they would meet the airship.

The treck to leaving was much faster than the one coming. Izuku grabbed Nai around the waist while Hirato grabbed Gareki. Worrying was how light the white-haired boy was. Using his flight ability he took the boy up into the airship. As usual, they were greeted by the demonic sheep.

"I'm back," intoned both Circus members followed by Nai doing the same. The white-haired boy caught on quick to what the sheep were there for. As soon as their feet touched the metal of the ship he was talking the robots. At least someone could tolerate them besides their captain.

For Gareki it took a little more convincing for him to say the password. When he did however his voice print was registered and he was welcomed on board. From there Izuku was dismissed and left to return to his own rooms. It was only in his own rooms did he remember what had happened.

Questions ran through his mind. How did Yogi handle this? Out of all of them, Yogi was the most innocent member of Circus. Somehow he was able to keep a smile on his face. He always had that childish charm which was what made his festival persona so popular. What was he going to do now?

Yogi's POV

Green eyes staring out into the blue sky was painful to watch. The whole ship knew what had happened the other night. Kit had seen his first burial performed. Yogi knew better than anyone how hard it was to come to terms with what they did. That it wasnt something words could help.

Everyone on the ship knew what they did. The sacrifices that they had to make to protect the rest of the world. Just like with heroes their lives were far from glamorous. It took everything they had sometimes to keep pushing forward. Push forward and not let their own darkness overrun them. Sometimes it wasn't enough and they lost members. Other times the member would work themselves into an early grave.

Yogi was pretty sure Izuku would be the latter. He wasnt the kind of person to take the coward's way out. When it came down to it he would kill his first Varuga as ordered. That would only burden his heart in ways no one could help him.

Anything Yogi would say now would seem meaningless. For now, he would watch over Kit and make sure his friend didnt do anything too stupid. After all, the entrance exams for UA would start soon. The kid would need to be ready for those.


	6. Burial part 3

Izuku's POV

"Stop being unreasonable kid. I have to take them to the Research Tower. You however are not needed for me to make this journey. With the high school entrance exams starting you need to stay close to home. There is a chance that we could be delayed on our return. If so you would miss the UA entrance exams were you to come with us. So you will stay here and Tsukitachi will be coming to keep you out of trouble while I'm gone."

Izuku snapped back, "I do not need a babysitter, Hirato. Least of all the excitable dumbass that is Tsukitachi. He cant even take care of himself."

That garnered a snort from Hirato and a disapproving look in kind. The man knew that he was right. He had said so himself on several occasions. The only reason that he was disapproving was that Izuku was supposed to respect the Captains. Yes because that would happen. Respect is earned not outright given. Tsukitachi had done nothing to earn his respect. He was more childish than Yogi and before he met Airship 1 he had thought that such a thing was impossible.

Tsukitachi and Izuku regularly bickered and fought when they were left alone. Izuku had been unable to land a single hit the last time they went at it. He walked away with a heavy limp and a few cracked ribs. The Airship 1 Captain didnt even look fazed by it. It was that day that inspired him to throw himself at the Academy. To work harder than anyone to get stronger.

If they did battle again it would not end the same way. He would make sure of it. That however did not mean he wanted to deal with the annoying redhead while he was preparing for UA entrance exams.

As he opened his mouth Hirato cut in no longer playing around, "Kit you will be under Tsukitachi's command while I'm away. This is not up for debate and it is an order by your Captain. You will heed and obey."

Izuku's entire body went rigid in response to the order. He could not ignore the order not when he was a member of Circus. He was duty-bound to obey.

Turning his head to the side he responded, "Yes sir."

Izuku turned on his heel and headed towards his room. If he wanted to have his stuff with him he would have to pack. Hirato had a habit of dropping him on Tsukitachi. Literally.

More than once Hirato had thrown him by his collar at the red-haired Captain. Tsukitachi despite being a bastard would never let him fall. Laugh at Izuku yes but never let him fall.

Izuku hated how carefree the man seemed to be. How did he keep such innocence when they had to kill? He was a Captain for God's sake. He performed more Burials than every member of Circus combined. He didnt understand the man or why he hated him. Just something about Tsukitachi rubbed Izuku the wrong way.

Sighing he pushed open the door to his rooms. It didnt take much effort to put together a bag of clothes and his needed supplies. For a brief moment, he considered taking some of his notebooks but decided against it. This was only a temporary situation. Hirato would return in a few weeks. With his return, Izuku would be back under his command.

For now, all he would have to do was put up with Tsukitachi and train for the entrance exams. Training would have to focus on his hand to hand combat. Learning to use to grapple and use his ability.

When Izuku researched his ability it seemed to be in two parts like most of the others. One part was the ability to manifest physical weapons such as Yogi's swords or Hirato's cane. This did not include the abilities that were honed over time. Only the weapons.

The second ability came with the gloves. From the research he had done on heroes it was similar to the Pro Hero Eraserhead's quirk, Erasure. The main difference between them was that Izuku's needed physical contact while the hero's required line of sight. Izuku's needed physical contact either with the gloves or his hands.

Maybe being with Airship 1 wouldn't be that bad. There were plenty of operatives ready to train. Usually, they didnt mind working with him. It... it just wasnt his home in the way that Airship 2 was. Homesickness was going to be a bitch he just knew it.

Within ten minutes his bag was packed and he was ready to leave. Izuku made his way up towards the closest exit of the ship knowing Hirato would be waiting for their arrivals. To see him off with said departures.

No matter how bad their arguments, Hirato always saw them off if they were going to be longer than a few days. It was a way of reassuring the Children of the Airship that he would return. Or in this case that Izuku would be welcomed back onto their ship.

Upon entering he noted Hirato and Yogi in full uniform an unusual sight for the usually laid back Lieutenant. When the blond saw Izuku he smiled lightly before turning his attention back to the portal. Only a moment later a red-haired man came through called by a black-haired younger man. Both were in their full Airship 1 uniforms.

The taller of the two was the red-haired man. He was the same age as Hirato and was only a year behind the other when becoming Captain of Airship 1. He had golden eyes that held a sort of mischievous glint to them most of the time. When they fell upon Izuku's verdant gaze they were cold and serious in a way that he had never seen before. In response to the cold gaze, Izuku had stiffened. Warily he flexed his right hand in preparation to fight. Every nerve fiber within his body was screaming danger.

Hirato greeted, "Tsukitachi thank you for coming. I know this is beyond your normal airspace."

The redhead replied his gaze moving to meet this fellow captain's, "It is not a problem. We owe you for that train incident a few weeks back. After you get back we can call it even."

"Agreed."

Formally Izuku bowed and said, "Thank you for having me, Captain Tsukitachi," he turned to Hirato, "May your mission be successful, sir. I look forward to your safe return."

Hirato laid a gentle hand on top of the young teen's verdant curls in an attempt to console him, "We will be back before you know it, Kit. Work hard and make sure you're prepared for your exams. If anything changes I'll contact you."

"Yes sir," grumbled out Izuku petulantly.

There was a twitch of the man's lips as he ruffled the teen's hair before turning away. Taking a deep breath Izuku faced the man he was to serve under for an indefinite time.

Tsukitachi questioned coldly, "You ready?"

"Yes, sir."

Aizawa's POV

The day of the entrance exams were finally upon them. Shouta disliked the way the exams were set up immensely. It was the reason he had the highest expulsion rate of any teacher at UA. All the test determined was if the kids had any ability to control their quirks or to fight.

Potential was what so many of his students lacked. If allowed to continue the way they were they would die their first year as heroes. So he gave them a much-needed reality check. Some came back with an attitude change and were better for it. Most did not they went off to do other things.

They needed to find a way to test potential in large groups. To find the ones with less obvious quirks that got put in Gen Ed because they couldn't gather enough points. A few of the teachers agreed with him but not enough to force a change.

Hizashi entered drawing his and Nezu's attention. The blond said, "All the kiddies are waiting at their respective gates. Nezu did you see that applicant in Circus gear? Did he get everything approved beforehand? I didnt think Circus sent operatives here."

Circus huh? Shouta remembered the boy he had run into awhile back. Run into was a little misleading. The kid had dropped out of the sky on top of him. From what he had said the kid was learning to control his flight abilities. There was no way it could be the same person. Right?

Monitors filled up with the different testing areas. In one particular monitor, he could spy the familiar green mop of hair in a Circus operative's clothes. Luck was not on his side then. The boy was the same one who struggled to gain control over his abilities.

Shouta decided immediately that he was not someone they wanted in the heroics course. Unable to control his abilities even if he was a member of Circus made him a liability. That didnt even factor in the fact that every special operative was quirkless. It was why they used the id bracelets to activate their powers.

Breaking through his thoughts Nezu answered Hizashi, "Ah yes, young Izuku Midoriya. From his file he a Special Operative with Airship 2 under the command of Captain Hirato. He was part of the most recent graduating class of the Circus Academy. From his file he was top of his class and continued to be when he transferred to a Middle School allowing him to attend UA should he pass. Currently, his assigned airship is away on a mission leaving him under Captain Tsukitachi until their return. He put in a request to allow the use of his Circus id bracelet. It was approved."

Shouta frowned. Circus should not have allowed an untrained child to act as their bridge with heroes. Even if he graduated top of his class he was a liability from what Shouta had seen before. He doubted that the child could improve enough to impress him in such a short time. Like every underground hero, he knew what dangers those who served Circus faced. Dangers that rivaled some of the more dangerous villains.

Hizashi nodded before announcing over the speaker, "START!"

Most of the hopeful students started in surprise. Only a handful of them began running through to gates to start attacking robots. One that did was Midoriya a pair of swords appearing in his hands seconds after passing through the gate.

Hizashi continued equally as loud as before, "There are no countdowns in real life. If you want to rack up points I suggest you start running."

Shouta watched with interest as Midoriya tore through the robots. It didnt matter how many points they were worth. The swords he used didnt seem to be phased at all by attacks. Whatever they were made out of was durable.

The cameras panned around to other students. There were a few that were interesting. One in particular was an explosive blond. He was right on the heels of Midoriya in terms of villain points. To Shouta's annoyance, he didnt pay any mind to those around him. More than once someone had nearly been crushed by falling debris due to his lack of awareness.

Another who was doing fairly well was an electric quirk user. His quirk allowed him to indiscriminately shoot electricity. If he made it into the hero course he would need to learn to direct it. Otherwise, he would injure those around him.

When the cameras brought a purple-haired boy up he frowned. The kid was struggling to face down the one point robots. He had taken scrapped parts from the defeated robots and used them as a sort of makeshift weapon. Inventive but still difficult for him to wield. It was obvious that his quirk wasn't combative. Unfortunately, it did not appear that he would get enough to enter heroics. If he applied to Gen Ed there was a chance for a transfer.

"Time for the Zero Pointer," announced an all too happy Nezu.

Shouta focused immediately upon Midoriya's section. When the zero pointers arrived most of the children began running in the opposite direction. Disappointing but not surprising. They didnt see the value in it. Or the fact someone was almost always trapped in the rubble.

Midoriya for his part was running straight at the robot. As he kicked off the ground he was unsteadily flying. Better than when he first ran into Shouta but not perfect by any means.

They seemed to shoot over the robot and for a moment the teachers thought he was escaping. As if a switch was flipped a second later the boy dropped like a bag of rocks. A bright blue light blinded the screens. Everyone in the room flinched away before Nezu recovered and began typing at the computer.

Less than a minute later the screen returned to normal. Midoriya stood in front of a destroyed zero pointer. The robot looked as if a giant sword had caught it straight in half. Parts of the metal looked molten in a way the heroes had never seen before.

Hizashi announced hiding his shock, "And that's it, little listeners. The exam is over. If you are injured but able to move please make your way to the medical tents. If you are unable to move stay where you are and our nurse will be with you in a moment."


End file.
